


Nowhere to Run

by xtremeroswellian



Category: Smallville, Supernatural
Genre: Creepy, F/M, Shapeshifting, Stalking, Unfinished, discontinued fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:41:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23932456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: Meeting Chloe Sullivan had been an accident. But it's the instant connection that Sam forms with her that's really what's unexpected.
Relationships: Clark Kent/Lana Lang, Sam Winchester & Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Chloe Sullivan





	1. Chapter 1

For Sam Winchester, it was all about being in the right place at the right time. He had no idea when he’s stepped onto the Met U campus that there was a girl running for her life from a man who’d been stalking her for weeks. Who’d videotaped her every move and had waited for just that night to make his final move and make her his own for eternity.

He had no idea that the girl’s regular superhero was off with a pretty brunette who’d recently dumped her billionaire fiance’ to be with her first true love, and that said superhero was similarly clueless that his Girl Friday was in mortal danger yet again, this time by no fault of her own.

It hadn’t been about her tracking a story or a meteor freak. This had been obsession plain and simple. He’d met her in at a coffee shop and unbeknownst to her at the time, followed her back to her dorm. Then to the Daily Planet. Then to Smallville. He’d tracked her every move, rarely letting her out of his sights and even though she couldn’t see him, she’d *felt* his presence.

In her worst nightmares--which were on an almost nightly basis these days--she dreamt of being chased through the woods by a man with a knife. He’d had no face, and he’d had many faces. In her dreams, he violated her, hurt her, and eventually killed her. She’d awaken feeling frightened and alone--the latter which she’d grown accustomed to since her superhero had all but ditched her--again--for her other best friend. The pretty, sweet brunette who could do no wrong in the eyes of…well, anyone. Herself included.

She’d had no idea about the cameras the man had set up in her dorm room, at the Talon, at the Daily Planet--every place she frequented. Though her subconscious had obviously picked up on the fact that she was being violated, she’d had no idea it was because she really was.

No, Sam had no knowledge of any of that, save the fact he was hoping to find some girl by the name of Chloe Sullivan to help him track down what he suspected was another shape-shifter: but not the type of shape shifter he was used to dealing with. After spending hours on the internet searching for information, he’d come across her name multiple times in articles dealing with things the majority of people would chalk up to myths and legends. She was clearly not one of those people. And from what he’d dug up, she was exactly the person he needed to talk to in order to learn more about ‘meteor freaks’ from some tiny town south of Metropolis called Smallville. Which is where said shape-shifter had been dwelling.

After searching information, he’d gotten into contact with a pretty girl named Lois Lane, whom ironically enough, had turned out to be the cousin of the very girl he was attempting to track down. She’d eyed him suspiciously, warily, with narrowed brown eyes and tightly pressed lips and informed him if he was there to stalk Chloe, he better be prepared for an ass-kicking. After buying the woman a cup of coffee and explaining he just wanted Chloe’s help, she’d reluctantly given him her cousin’s address and confirmed that Chloe was definitely the go-to girl when it came to meteor freaks.

Which is all he needed to hear in order to justify the three hour trip north to the crowded city of Metropolis to his brother, who’d insisted on staying behind in Smallville.

“Plus I can keep an eye on things here while you’re off researching,” Dean had said with a grin. Which in Dean-speak meant he was going to keep an eye on Lois.

Rolling his eyes, Sam had taken the Impala with a warning that “if you scratch my car, you’re a dead man, brother or not.”

It was after dark when Sam arrived on campus and he immediately felt chilled and not just by the cool air. There was something wrong, though he couldn’t place what it was. That is, until he heard the frightened scream. Immediately on guard, he stood still, trying to determine where the sound had come from.

A couple of people walked by him quickly, ignoring the scream all together, as people tended to do when they weren’t the ones in trouble.

The sound came again, farther away this time and his gaze shifted toward the darkened dorm a few yards away. He ran toward it, his heart thudding heavily in his chest. He was wishing he’d brought a weapon from the trunk of the Impala, but he didn’t have time to go back now.

Someone was clearly in danger.

And unlike most people who ran away from danger, Sam Winchester’s whole life had been about running directly toward it.

* * *

Her shoes pounding the tiled hallway floor of the pitch black dorm, Chloe fumbled with her cell phone, frantically trying to call the one person she could always count on to help her when she was in trouble. But he wasn’t answering. Tears stinging her eyes, she felt the sharp burning pain in her shoulder from the knife wound, the blood hot as it ran down her arm, stained her shirt and splashed onto the ground like a thick rain.

She knocked on doors, tried the handles, but no one was answering and none of the doors were unlocked. For all she knew, the dorm was completely abandoned. It was, after all, Spring break.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are.” The sing-song voice called, chilling her to the bone with fear.

She was trapped and for the first time in a long time, she had a sinking feeling she wasn’t going to survive the night. She had no weapons, and her superman wasn’t even aware she was in danger.

Simply put, she was screwed. And not in the fun way.

“I see you, Chloe,” he whispered in the darkness, his voice closer this time.

Pressing her back to the wall at the dead end of the dorm corridor, she trembled, tensing herself for a fight that she had no expectations of winning. She wasn’t trained in combat like Lois and she didn’t know karate like Lana. She might be a meteor freak, but she no abilities to her knowledge.

“There you are, sweetheart,” he whispered, pinning her to the wall, the knife pressed against her cheek. “Just relax.” His breath was hot against her ear as he slid his free hand down the front of her body, jerking on the material of her shirt violently. Just like in her nightmares. The fabric ripped as if it were made of nothing but paper.

Chloe screamed.

* * *

Sam had no idea what to expect as he made his way quickly down the darkened corridor, but what he wasn’t expecting was to see a man with a knife obviously about to commit a horrendous act against a woman that made Sam’s blood boil. Not hesitating, he rushed the man, grabbing him by the back of the neck and throwing him hard against the wall. The knife clattered to the floor.

* * *

One minute, she was struggling to keep the rough hands from violating her body, consciously aware that she was reliving her nightmares except she was in a dorm rather than the woods. The next, a tall, dark figure had yanked the man away, tossed him almost effortlessly into the wall. “Clark?” she whispered, her voice strained. She was shaking violently, her face pale and tear-stained.

The tall man stepped a little closer, so she could make out his figure a little better. And it wasn’t Clark. This man was a few inches taller than even Clark Kent. “Are you okay?” There was concern, and warmth in the unfamiliar voice as he moved a little closer. “God. You need a hospital. Take it easy.” Keeping a wary eye on her attacker, she listened dimly as the man called for the police and an ambulance.

“No,” she protested. “I’m not hurt that badly.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“I don’t need an ambulance. Please.” Would a blood test determine she was a meteor freak? Would they lock her up in Belle Reeve?

He hesitated a moment. “Okay.” He told them to cancel the ambulance, then put a gentle hand on her uninjured shoulder. “I’m Sam. You’re safe now.”

Swallowing hard, she let herself believe him before letting the dark consume her.

He caught her before she hit the floor.

* * *

The sirens were approaching rapidly. He could hear them and in his mind’s eye he saw the red and white light spinning on top of police cars. He alternated between looking at the man he’d knocked unconscious and looking down at the woman who was cradled in his arms. He’d taken off his jacket and covered her with it--her shirt was ripped and Sam Winchester was nothing if not a gentleman.

In the faint light from the window behind them, he found himself gazing at her. She was pretty--shoulder length, curly blonde hair, smooth pale skin. She reminded him of Jessica in ways he didn’t want to be reminded. He wished she would wake up so he could see her eyes. He kept one hand pressed gently against her injured shoulder to help stop the blood flow from the wound.

He felt her start in his arms as she woke up, a frightened expression on her face. “It’s okay,” he said quickly, gently tucking some hair behind her ear. “It’s me, Sam.”

Recognizing the name, she relaxed, closing her eyes again momentarily before slowly trying to sit up. He let her pull away, watched as she pulled his jacket closer around her, trying to get her bearings.

“What’s your name?” he asked, his voice quiet.

The pretty woman regarded him for a moment, hesitant. “Chloe,” she said finally. “Chloe Sullivan.”

***

Fate sure had a weird way of presenting itself sometimes.

Sam stood beside the ambulance with its flashing lights, watching the paramedics dress the petite blonde’s wounded shoulder. Even as the police officer interviewed her, her gaze was locked on him, her green eyes intense. As if she was somehow looking right through him. For all he knew, she might have been.

He’d known when he learned she was a reporter at the Daily Planet at the young age of 19, that Chloe Sullivan wasn’t an average woman. She was brighter, wittier. Her eyes reflected a depth of knowledge and experience that was rivaled his own and he felt an instant sense of kinship with her.

He answered the questions the police asked him, keeping his answers simple and straightforward. He’d heard a scream and gone to help. No, he didn’t know either Chloe or her attacker, he was new in town, sight-seeing and had decided to check out the campus.

They thanked him for his statement and headed to the car where the man he’d knocked unconscious was sitting in the backseat, glaring intently at him. No, not at him.

At Chloe.

Feeling oddly protective of her, he stepped into the man’s line of sight, meeting his glare with an intense, warning one of his own.

The car pulled away and Sam watched it disappear down the road before slowly turning to look at Chloe once more.

Her eyes were still focused on him, though she was silent. Curiosity filled her green orbs and he had the distinct impression she’d seen right through his lies about being a tourist.

Sam met her gaze and offered her a small smile. “How’s it feel?” he asked, nodding toward her shoulder.

She looked down at the large bandage, his coat resting on his shoulders, dwarfing her in its large size. “Better.”

He cocked his head to one side, gazing at her. She hadn’t complained about the pain though he knew the wound had to hurt. He’d been knifed a couple of times in his life and it was never pleasant--even the non-life-threatening wounds hurt like hell. It didn’t seem to faze her.

She was definitely not your average woman.

* * *

“So who are you really?” Chloe asked as she stood beside Sam, watching the ambulance pull away after she’d politely refused the paramedic’s advice to take her to the hospital.

He was silent for a moment and she looked at him.

It was hard not to look at him. The man was taller than Clark Kent, slightly older, and had dark hazel eyes with a depth of sorrow and hope in them that she’d never seen before. He was amazingly good looking. She was surprised to realize she thought he was better looking than Clark.

“My name really is Sam.”

“You’re not a tourist.” She knew a cock and bull story when she heard one.

A wry smile touched his lips and he glanced at her, his cheeks dimpled.

Definitely better looking than Clark. She swallowed hard, waiting for him to say something.

“No. Not a tourist. I was actually looking for you.”

Chloe blinked. She hadn’t expected that. “I’m assuming you’re not here to kill me.”

Sam’s eyes widened a little. “Of course not!”

It was her turn to offer him a wry smile. “Good. One near death experience a day is about all a girl can handle.”

He smiled back at her, surprised and amused that she could joke so easily about having almost died.

“I imagine so.”

“That does, however, beg the question of why you were looking for me.” She gazed at him intently.

Sam held her gaze. “I talked to your cousin Lois. She told me you were here.”

Again, she was caught off guard. “You know Lois?”

“Not exactly.” He slid his hands in his jean pockets, looking a bit sheepish.

Adorable. She blinked back the thought. “Okay…”

“I read some of your articles online. About weird things happening in Smallville.”

“Oh.” She shivered slightly and pulled his jacket around herself a little more tightly.

“I was hoping you could help me.”

Now her curiosity was even higher. “With what?”

“A shape-shifter.”

Chloe was silent for a moment. “Who are you again?”

He grinned and held a hand out to her. “Sam. Sam Winchester.”

***

He looked around the small dorm room, fascinated by the articles and clippings she’d cut out and tacked up on various bulletin boards on the walls. Most of them were ones she’d written herself.

“It’s my Wall of Weird,” Chloe told him, a faint, almost shy smile on her face.

He smiled and turned to meet her gaze. “You’ve been doing this awhile.”

“Ah, but not as long as you have.”

Sam stared at her, surprised by her words. He hadn’t told her how long he’d been involved in pursuing the paranormal.

“Sam Winchester. From Lawrence, Kansas. Right?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Chloe’s eyes were twinkling. “Bet you’re wondering how I know that.”

“Yeah, you could…you could say that.” He eyed her warily.

“You and your brother are sort of famous.”

He blinked. “What?”

“Come here.” She moved to sit at her computer and he slowly crossed the room, standing behind her and watching as she pulled up a website.

“Paranormal Gathering dot com,” he read, wondering how he’d never been on this particular site before.

Nodding, Chloe typed something else in and much to Sam’s surprise, pulled up an article from Jericho, California.

“What the hell?” he whispered, leaning down to read. The article, short as it was, detailed how two good looking men, names withheld, had rid the small town of an angry spirit that had plagued the place for years. “This doesn’t mention our names.”

She smiled. “Nope.” She pulled up another article, this one more recent, and in Illinois.

This one did mention their names.

It also mentioned they were wanted by the FBI for bank robbery, murder, and a spree of other crimes. “Chloe, I can explain--”

“You don’t have to.” She typed in something else and his eyebrows furrowed. “All of these articles are from people you and your brother helped over the past several months.” She glanced up at him and he met her eyes questioningly. “Trust me when I say I know that bad luck follows good people.”

“But how do you know we didn’t do those things?” he asked, nodding toward the screen where an article about Dean’s “death” in St. Louis was pulled up.

Chloe smiled at him mysteriously. “I have my ways.”

***

He was more than intrigued.

Sam gazed at Chloe with something akin to amazement as she shut down her laptop and closed it. “You know all about us.”

Chloe smiled a bit and met his gaze. “Yeah, I keep up with that site on a daily basis. Never really imagined I’d meet either of you, let alone that you’d save my life.” Her smile brightened and it made her whole face light up.

She was beautiful.

Sam sucked in a breath, feeling strangely comfortable with her knowing so much about them. There was something about her, an inner light that shone in her eyes. She was definitely trustworthy.

Sam Winchester had good instincts.

“A lot of people know who you are. Well, what you do, anyway. You’ve saved a lot of lives. People are grateful. Word gets around--especially on the Internet.”

He couldn’t look away from her. “I didn’t realize that many people really…”

“Took notice?” She smiled again. “You’re heroes to these people.”

“That include you?” He had no idea where that came from. It sounded more like something Dean would say right before he flashed her a cocky but charming grin that would have most girls falling into bed with him moments later.

A faint blush touched Chloe’s cheeks. “Well, like I said, you did just save my life.”

Sam smiled back, his eyes warm.

“So tell me about this shape-shifter. You think it’s meteor infected?” Her demeanor changed to one of curiosity and worry.

“Well, its first attack was in Smallville.”

“Definitely meteor-infected,” she said without hesitation. “But if it’s a shape-shifter, how do we track it?”

“Good question. Normally shape-shifter’s shed their skin when they change form.”

“Like the thing in St. Louis?”

Sam’s eyebrows rose. “How did you--”

“Like I said, I’ve been following the adventures of the Winchesters for awhile now.” She smirked and he shook his head in amusement. “But not all shape shifters do that, right?”

“No, not all of them,” he agreed.

“Werewolves don’t.” She paused, tilting her head a bit. “Are those real?”

“Werewolves? Oh yeah. Haven’t dealt with one for a long time, but they’re definitely real. And nasty. And dangerous.”

Nodding, Chloe gazed at him intently. “Well if the shape-shifter you’re looking for is meteor-infected, there’s a pretty good chance I can locate him. Or her.”

“How?” he asked curiously, though he had no doubt she was serious.

She opened her laptop once more. “Because a lot of the meteor freaks from Smallville have GPS trackers inside them.”

Sam stared at her. “How did that happen?”

A bitter smile twisted her lips. “Ala Lex Luthor.”

“As in Luthor Corp?”

“Got it in one.” She pulled up a set of files as he watched, startled by all the numerous blinking green dots spread throughout Smallville on a very detailed map.

“What is this?” he whispered, feeling nervous for reasons he didn’t understand.

“This is how Lex monitored the undesirables.” She didn’t look at him. “Except he doesn’t have these files anymore. I do.”

“Why would he wanna do that?”

Chloe glanced at him. “Kinda obvious, Sam,” she said quietly, not quite meeting his eyes this time. “For termination.”

***

His silence was unsettling.

“Are all these people…bad? Dangerous?” His expression was unreadable and she wondered what was going on in his mind.

“Not all of them, no.” She bit her lip and turned back to the screen. I’m not, she added silently. “A lot of them were just…unfortunate enough to get caught in the midst of one of the meteor showers. The exposure gave them abilities other people don’t have.”

“What kinds of abilities?” he questioned, leaning forward a little.

Chloe hesitated a moment. “It’s different for everyone. Everything from telekinesis to teleportation and mind reading.” She didn’t dare look at him. Would he know somehow, that she too, was a meteor freak? Would he want to hurt her, kill her? Like Lex?

“And you’re sure that all of it relates to the meteor showers? To the rocks?” Sam’s voice was quiet. “And not…something else?”

“Like what?” She glanced at him briefly, curious.

Sam was silent for a moment. “Were there any nursery fires around here in the last few years?”

“Nursery fires?” she repeated, her eyebrows furrowing. “Like the one…” He inhaled sharply, and she quickly shut up. That probably wasn’t something he was eager to talk about with anyone, let alone a complete stranger. “I’m sorry. I’m a reporter and when I’m curious I ask questions that sometimes aren’t any of my business.”

“It’s okay, Chloe.” He was quiet for another moment. “I have abilities. But they didn’t come from rocks. And I’m not the only one.”

***

He couldn’t believe he’d just admitted that to her.

He didn’t know her and he certainly wasn’t one to go around announcing or flaunting his powers--which may or may not be rooted in evil and darkness. But somehow telling her felt natural.

What he wasn’t expecting was her reaction.

“What kind of abilities?” She didn’t sound the least bit surprised.

Sam paused momentarily. “I have visions. Of people in trouble. And…” He hesitated a second. “I’ve got powers of telekinesis but I don’t know how to use them. I don’t have them under control.”

Chloe gazed at him, her green eyes focused intently on his hazel ones. “Well, if we’re spilling deep dark secrets…you should know that I’m a meteor freak.”

“You have powers?”

She dropped her gaze to the floor. “Not so far. But I am infected.”

“If you don’t have powers, how do you know--” He froze, staring at the computer screen with the blinking green dots.

“I was an involuntary lab rat for Lex Luthor,” she said bitterly.

Sam felt the breath catch in his throat. “What the hell did he do to you?”

“Other than implant a GPS tracker under my collarbone? I don’t know. His scientists wiped my memory after they abducted me.”

He felt a knot form in his stomach and he reached out to touch her arm, his hand gentle, wanting to offer her some form of comfort.

Chloe looked down at where his hand rested lightly on her arm. Then she looked up at him once more. Unshed tears were pooled in her eyes.

She was frightened and he could read it on her face as easily as he felt the fear in his own heart.

Sam met her eyes. “He’ll never hurt you again.”

***

Chloe swallowed hard, gazing at him intently, unable to look away. For some reason, she believed him. There was something about Sam that made her feel incredibly safe, and it wasn’t just the knowledge that he and his brother helped people who were in trouble, which she definitely was.

It also wasn’t the fact that just a couple of hours ago, he’d saved her life, although she knew that contributed to her feeling of ease with him.

“Lex is powerful,” she whispered. “He can get to anyone.”

Sam’s smile was one of quiet confidence. “Not anyone.”

***

Even as he spoke the words, he wondered how he was going to keep her safe and why he felt it was his responsibility. He’d once heard the expression that when you saved someone’s life, that life belonged to you, and while he certainly didn’t think of Chloe as anything remotely resembling a possession, he could at least admit to himself that he wanted to make sure she was all right.

He wanted to keep her safe in a way that rivaled his desire to keep himself from turning evil.

If he could just find a way to do that, maybe…just maybe things would be okay.

Sam slowly rose to his feet, holding his hand out to her. “I need to go back to Smallville. It’s where my brother is.” Probably hitting relentlessly on your cousin, he added silently. “Come with me?”

Chloe gazed at his hand for only a moment before sliding her own smaller one into it. “Okay.”

Sam smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

The drive to Smallville flew by as Sam drove and the two of them discussed various cases they’d investigated over the years.

Chloe found herself gazing at his profile in the darkness of the Impala. She was more than use to being around heroes--Clark, Oliver Queen, Bart, Victor, and Arthur--but somehow this was different. The Winchesters were a different type of heroes.

And she was more than a little fascinated.

Sam was more open than Clark, but he was quiet, gentle. Warm. There was a pain behind his eyes and words when he spoke and he didn’t try to hide it from her.

She wanted to comfort him. Wanted to reach out and help him carry that pain and help him find peace with himself. It wasn’t much different than how she’d always felt about Clark, actually.

With the major exception that she’d only known Sam Winchester for a very few short hours.

Biting her lower lip, she looked out the windshield. Lois had been right. She definitely had a thing for a guy with a hero complex.

Nine

Putting his brother’s car into the park position as he pulled up in front of the Talon, Sam glanced sideways at Chloe and found her looking at him.

“You okay?” he asked, concerned warmth in his tone. “How’s your shoulder?”

“It hurts a little, but I think I’ll live,” she said, offering him a small smile.

“Good to know.” The sudden compulsion he had to touch her cheek startled him and he quickly reached for the door handle. That was the last thing either of them needed--to get entangled in a romance that could never have a happy ending. Besides, she’d take one look at Dean and lose any interest she might or might not have for him.

Rarely could a woman resist the charms of Dean Winchester.

He climbed out of the car and moved to the passenger side, opening the door for her and smiling faintly as her eyes registered surprised. Clearly she wasn’t used to that kind of gesture and that bothered him.

Chloe was special. And a woman like her deserved to be treated like it.

He held his hand out and helped her out of the car.

“Thanks,” she whispered, meeting his gaze once more.

“You’re welcome.” He shut the door and offered her another smile as she led the way to the entrance of the Talon, glancing back at him with inquisitive eyes.

Drawing in a breath, he forced himself to concentrate on the matter at hand--the fact that there was a shape-shifter on the loose, and that the woman walking in front of him needed protection from another type of a monster, as well--this particular one of the human variety.

The worst kind.

His brother was sitting at the counter alone, and when the bell above the door tinkled to announce someone was entering, Dean turned and looked first at Sam, then at Chloe, his eyes widening just slightly.

Sam had to repress the urge to scowl.

“Chloe, this is my brother, Dean. Dean, this is Chloe Sullivan.”

Dean smiled at her, and extended his hand. “Pleasure is all mine.”

Chloe smirked at him, shaking his hand, and looking over her shoulder at Sam briefly. “So this is the famous love ‘em and leave ‘em Winchester,” she said with a quirked eyebrow.

Sam laughed at his brother’s stunned expression. He coughed when Dean glared at him. “Hey, Chloe, can I get some coffee?”

She grinned at him. “Sure thing, Sam.” She winked at him before heading behind the counter to the coffee machine.

“What the hell just happened?” Dean asked, still looking vaguely confused.

“I think that was her way of saying she’s not interested in you, Dean.” He smirked and clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder at his crestfallen expression.

“Is that even possible?” he grumbled.

Sam watched as Chloe fixed him a latte. He definitely hoped so.

***

“Wait, so you’re telling me we’re all over the Internet?” His voice was dubious, but in reality Chloe was more than surprised he’d swallowed the news so well that she knew all about them.

Chloe glanced sideways at Sam, who was sitting to her right, and then looked across the table at Dean once more. “Not all over it, no. But in certain circles online, you’re famous.”

Dean smirked and leaned back in the booth. “Huh.”

Chloe and Sam both rolled their eyes at the same time without even realizing it.

“This is great coffee,” he told her quietly and she flashed him a grin.

“I live off coffee,” she admitted.

He smiled back at her, holding her gaze for a moment longer and she felt butterflies flutter in her tummy nervously.

This time, Dean rolled his eyes. “All right, so what about the shape-shifter?”

“That’s not our only problem,” Sam told his brother, the smile fading and being replaced by a worried look.

“Great. Always what I love to hear. What else is it?”

Chloe ducked her head, shifting uncomfortably. She was surprised when Sam’s hand squeezed hers very lightly as if he was sensing her unease.

Sam leaned forward, not moving his hand away from hers. “His name’s Lex Luthor.”

“Sam…Lex is my problem.” Her voice was soft and she didn’t look at him.

“Your problems are our problems, Sweetheart,” Dean said with another smirk. “It’s sorta what we do.”

She made a face at the term of endearment that she likely would have found endearing had it come from Sam, but the cocky arrogance in Dean’s voice annoyed her. “Yeah, well, Lex Luthor isn’t a demon or a monster. At least, not the kind you two deal with.”

“What the hell is he then?” Dean shifted his gaze to Sam, his eyebrows furrowing.

“He’s human,” Sam said, his voice hard.

***

“Fantastic.” Dean’s voice was flat, annoyed. “What the hell does this guy want with you?” He looked at Chloe.

Sam gazed at his brother, remaining silent. It wasn’t his place to tell Dean about Chloe and he wasn’t about to betray her trust.

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, not looking at Dean or Sam. “I’m meteor-infected.”

Dean blinked, opened his mouth to respond, but said nothing.

That was a first, Sam thought with a tiny smile. “She doesn’t have any powers.”

“Then what the hell does this Luthor guy want with you?” He shook his head.

“Lex views all meteor-freaks as a danger to society.” Her voice was very soft. “He’s been capturing them, tracking them and eventually…”

“Killing them,” Sam finished grimly, his eyes angry. “Sound like anyone else you know?”

Dean’s eyes darkened. “Son of a bitch.”

Nodding, he knew his brother understood exactly what was going on in his mind and he looked sideways at Chloe. “Hey, is there a motel where we can stay for the night?”

“There’s one at the edge of town, but…” She glanced toward the upstairs and Sam followed her gaze. “Lois was heading to Metropolis tonight, so you’re welcome to stay with me in her apartment.”

Sam shot a glare at Dean when his brother began to smirk. “That’s a really nice offer, but we don’t wanna take advantage.”

Chloe smiled at him, her green eyes bright. “You’re not. Trust me.”

“I do,” he said without hesitation, gazing back at her. “All right, we’ll stay.” He ignored his brother’s knowing smirk.

The bell above the door jingled and he looked up to see a guy almost as tall as him walk in with a pretty brunette at his side. They were holding hands. And both looking straight at Chloe with vague shock.

He watched with some confusion as Chloe seemed to shrink a little. “Chloe? Who are they?” he whispered.

***

Chloe’s heart sank a little as she watched Clark and Lana step inside the Talon and look right at her, both looking surprised to see her. Probably more surprised to see her with two good looking guys neither of them knew. She heard Sam’s whispered question, and prepared herself for the inevitable male reaction to meeting Lana Lang.

“Friends,” she answered, forcing a smile as she lifted a hand to wave at them.

Clark met her gaze, his own eyes filled with intense curiosity. But, she knew without thinking--not jealousy.

She watched as they approached the table.

“Hey, Chloe.” Lana smiled at her, then looked at Sam and Dean, her eyes curious as well. “Who are your friends?”

“Lana, Clark…this is Sam and Dean. They’re new in town. Sight seeing. Guys, these are my friends Clark Kent and Lana Lang,” she said with false cheerfulness that Lana and Clark always failed to see through.

“Nice to meet you,” Sam said, nodding at them slightly.

Dean smiled but it was a cautious smile.

“Likewise,” Clark said, eyeing Sam with something akin to suspicion. “How long have you guys been in town?”

“Not long,” he answered vaguely.

Chloe swallowed hard, feeling intensely uncomfortable. She glanced over and was surprised to see Sam gazing at her and not Lana. She met his eyes and he smiled gently at her and she couldn’t help but return the gesture. It took every ounce of effort she had to look back at Clark. “You guys are out late.”

“We decided to stop in for a nightcap,” Lana explained with an easy, pretty smile, looking up at Clark.

“I bet,” she heard Dean mutter, another smirk on his face. She was beginning to realize smirking was a perpetual state for him.

“Well, I’m just gonna…get some tea,” Lana said, shooting Chloe a curious look, her eyebrows raised. “Chloe, you wanna help me with that?”

Not really, she thought, not liking the competitive gazes that Clark and Sam kept exchanging. “Sure thing.” She reluctantly pulled her hand away from Sam’s and rose to her feet. “Be right back, guys.”

Chloe followed Lana behind the counter.

“Who are they?” she asked curiously, looking at Chloe intently.

“Brothers. They’re road tripping and were curious about Smallville and its history,” Chloe answered.

“Oh. Well, they definitely found the right person to fill them in,” Lana said with a grin.

She smiled back, a genuine smile this time. She glanced back toward the table.

“He’s cute.”

“More like gorgeous,” Chloe responded without thinking.

Lana giggled. “You’ve got it bad.”

She looked at her friend, her cheeks flushing. Was she really that obvious?

***

Sam did not like the way Clark Kent was sizing him up, but he understood it. “So how long have you known Chloe?” he asked casually.

Clark shifted slightly. “Oh, since we were in eighth grade.”

“You two ever date?” Dean asked bluntly.

Sam shot his brother a glare, which Dean promptly ignored.

“No. We’ve always been just good friends. Best friends, actually.” Clark turned his gaze back to Sam, studying him intently.

Your loss, Sam thought, glancing across the room and seeing Chloe gazing at him. He smiled at her warmly. He heard his brother say something else, but didn’t catch it, too caught up in the smile that appeared on the petite blonde’s face.

“Well, it was nice meeting you both,” Clark said, breaking Sam from his thoughts and extending his hand.

Sam blinked a couple of times and reached out to shake his hand, surprised by the firm, almost warning grip from the younger man. “Likewise.” He watched as Clark headed to the counter and then turned to look at Dean.

“So how bad you hate him?” Dean asked with a knowing smirk.

Sam rolled his eyes.

***

“Chloe, can I talk to you for a minute?”

She glanced at Clark, then at Lana, raising her eyebrows. “Sure thing, Clark.” She handed Lana the mug of tea she was holding and followed Clark toward the Talon’s office. “What’s up?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.” He turned to gaze at her, his eyes a mixture of confusion and worry.

“Like I said, they’re sight seeing.” Chloe shrugged.

“Yeah? So what happened to your shoulder?”

She winced a little and looked down to see a piece of the white gauze sticking out of her shirt. She quickly tucked it back down, not meeting his gaze. “Ran into a little trouble in Metropolis. Sam helped me out.”

“What kind of trouble?” Clark asked, his blue eyes alarmed.

“Relax, Clark. I’m all right.” She explained to him what had happened and he stared at her, horrified.

“God, Chloe, are you sure you’re all right?” He winced. “You should’ve gone to the hospital.”

“It was a superficial wound. Really not a big deal. I promise.” She gazed at him, touched by his concern.

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“Actually I tried. You didn’t answer.” She offered him a wry smile.

He shut his eyes, his shoulders slumping. “I shoulda been there.”

“It turned out all right.”

“Chloe, you could have been killed.”

“Which makes today a normal day,” Chloe responded with a wry smile. “Minus being rescued by someone other than Clark Kent, that is.” She glanced toward the front of the café.

“You like him.”

She was silent for a moment. “We have a lot in common,” she said quietly.

Clark lifted his eyebrows. “Like what?”

“Like…it’s a long story, which I’ll tell you some other time. You need to get back to your girlfriend.” Her voice was light and she smiled at him.

“You’re sure you’re all right?” Clark gazed at her intently.

“I’m fine, Clark. Promise.” She held his gaze.

He let out a breath, hugging her gently. “All right. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“All right. Have a good night.”

“You too, Chlo.” He kissed her forehead and led the way out of the office.

She murmured her goodnight to Lana, and watched as the two of them headed out of the Talon arm-in-arm.

It dawned on her she wasn’t the least bit bothered by the sight.

***

“So there are extra blankets in the closet on the top shelf if you get cold in the middle of the night.”

Sam smiled faintly as she motioned to a door across the room. The Talon apartment didn’t have a guest room, but the sofa had a pull-out bed and Chloe had dug out a blow up mattress which she’d helped him make on the floor of the living room.

Which of course, he was sleeping on, because Dean insisted on the sofa bed.

Jerk.

“It’s actually more comfortable than the sofa bed,” she’d whispered to Sam with a smirk when Dean had disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower.

He had laughed out loud at that.

“Help yourselves to anything in the kitchen, and if you need anything, I’ll be in the other room.”

“Thanks, Chloe. We really appreciate it.” He smiled at her.

“Sweet dreams.” Chloe’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment before she turned and disappeared into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her softly as he watched her go.

Sam rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the shut door.

“You know, if you weren’t such a damn girl you could be in there with her,” Dean said with a smirk as he sat down on the edge of the sofa bed.

“Shut up, Dean,” he said without any malice or even annoyance. He settled himself onto the comfortable mattress on the floor, yawning and shutting his eyes as he yanked the covers up to his chin.

He listened to the sounds of his brother trying to get comfortable in the bed above him for several minutes.

“This thing’s as hard as a damn rock!”

***

_Chloe was running, but she couldn’t see where she was going. All she knew was that the man with the knife was getting closer, so close she could feel his hot breath against her neck._

_She felt the fiery-hot blade slice into her shoulder and a scream escaped her. She stumbled, picked herself up and ran again, pressing one hand to her shoulder while her other hand frantically dialed for help, praying that Clark would answer his phone._

_“No use running, Chloe,” the voice whispered, sickly-sweet. “There’s nowhere to run. You’re mine.”_

_And then she was pinned to the wall, the silver blade pressed to her cheek warningly as he ripped her shirt open._

_A frightened cry escaped her lips._

And then she felt herself being gathered into strong, protective arms, a soft voice murmuring that she was safe. That she was just dreaming.

“You’re okay, Chloe. No one’s gonna hurt you.” A large, but gentle hand stroked her hair and down her back and she awakened slowly to find herself wrapped in Sam’s arms. Her body relaxed and she rested her head against his collarbone.

“Sorry I woke you.”

“You didn’t. I was awake and I thought I heard you crying,” he murmured, his lips brushing lightly over her forehead, his hand resting against her back. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Just…bad dream.” She swallowed hard and pulled away enough to look up at him.

He gazed back at her, their eyes meeting in the semi-darkness of the bedroom. “Know that feeling.”

She hesitated a moment. “Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you…stay here with me?”

Sam reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sure,” he murmured, pressing another kiss to her forehead.

Chloe closed her eyes, then touched his cheek with one hand, opening her eyes to meet his gaze once more. And then she kissed him very softly.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam woke up first.

His arm was draped around her waist, her back pressed against his stomach. His face was buried in her blonde hair, her body warm and soft against his own. He inhaled slowly, taking in the scent of her papaya shampoo and closing his eyes momentarily.

When he opened them again, he found himself gazing down at her intently, watching the way the rays from the morning sun played across her skin. It made it seem like she was glowing.

She was breathtaking.

And he wanted to kiss her again.

Sam drew in another breath and let it out slowly. There were so many reasons that was a bad idea, he didn’t even know where to start. He was already consciously aware of the fact he was far too attached to the beautiful blonde reporter for his own good.

Leaving would not be an easy thing this time.

Unable to stop himself, he gently smoothed some hair back from her face, his thumb brushing her soft cheek.

Last night when she’d kissed him, he’d felt more alive than he’d felt since before Jess had died.

Swallowing hard, he pressed a feather light kiss to her forehead.

And this time when he looked down at her, he found himself gazing into her emerald green eyes.

***

Chloe awoke to the feel of a soft kiss against her forehead. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see Sam gazing down at her intently. Her heart skipped a beat as she found herself unable to look away from him.

Waking up beside someone she’d met only the day before was something Chloe wasn’t used to doing.

Ever.

Of course, they hadn’t done anything but sleep. They were both still fully clothed and Sam had been a complete gentleman. She’d kissed him, he’d returned the soft pressure, and then they’d talked for a few minutes before he settled in behind her, wrapping her in a protective embrace that made her feel safe for the rest of the night as she slept nightmare-free for the first time in weeks.

“Morning,” she whispered, still gazing at him.

“Morning,” Sam said back softly .”How’d you sleep?””

“Much better. Thank you for staying with me.”

He smiled faintly and she got the distinct impression he wanted to say something, but was holding back for some reason.

“Sam? What is it?”

“Hmm?” He shook his head a little. “Nothing.” He slowly pulled away from her and she felt the loss of warmth from his body keenly.

Swallowing hard, Chloe slowly sat up as well, tucking some hair behind her ears. “Hungry?”

“Starving.”

“We could go downstairs for breakfast,” she suggested, watching as he looked out the window.

“Sounds good.”

“I’m gonna change clothes.” Chloe rose to her feet, moving toward the closet and glancing at him.

“Oh. Right.” He smiled sheepishly. “I’ll give you some privacy. I need to see if Dean’s up yet anyway.” He headed for the door.

She watched him go, biting her lower lip as he shut the door behind him. She leaned her head against the closet door, closing her eyes.

Chloe Sullivan didn’t just fall for any guy that came along. But when she fell, she tended to fall very hard and very fast.

Sam Winchester was special.

And she was already dreading what would happen when he and his brother left town and moved on to help the next damsel in distress.

***

Sam had no sooner stepped outside Chloe’s bedroom and into the living room when he was faced with his brother’s wide, knowing smirk. “Save it,” he said, shooting Dean a look.

“Save what?” Dean’s smirk widened even more and Sam decided if it got any wider it would certainly break his brother’s face.

If he didn’t do it first.

“Nothing happened.”

“I bet.”

He glared at Dean briefly. God he was annoying sometimes. “We’re going to get some breakfast downstairs. Think you can pull your head out of your ass long enough to come along?”

“Ooh, someone’s testy.” Dean smirked. “You know, if you keep that up I’ll start thinking nothing really did happen in there.””

Sam rolled his eyes, grabbing his bag from the floor and heading toward the bathroom. “Jerk.”

“Bitch.”


	4. Chapter 4

“So what are you thinking?” Dean asked, stuffing a large bite of scrambled eggs into his mouth as Sam and Chloe watched with something between amusement and fascinated disgust.

“That you’re a pig,” Sam responded with a smirk.

Dean smirked back and said something indistinguishable around his mouthful of food.

Sam made a face and looked at Chloe, shaking his head slightly.

She grinned.

“Sam. Shape-shifter. Focus.”

“I am focused.” He gazed at Chloe. “What can you tell us about these meteor rocks?”

She leaned forward. “Well most of the people who were caught in the meteor showers got their abilities from whatever they were doing at the time.”

“You mean if someone was washing their car, they could wash their car better?” Dean asked with a smirk, ignoring the look his brother shot him.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “No. But if someone was running and happened to get caught in the meteor shower, that person could have developed the ability to super-speed. Or if someone was wishing they were invisible…”

“They gained the ability to make themselves invisible at will,” Sam murmured.

“Not in all cases. But that tends to be how it works. At least on a basic level.” She gazed at him.

“So the person we’re looking for wished he or she could shape shift?” Dean looked between them. He snatched a piece of bacon off Sam’s plate.

She shrugged. “Maybe. Sometimes the abilities are just an enhancement for latent abilities that a person already has and may or may not be aware of.”

“You think the person was already a shape-shifter?” Sam asked curiously.

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

He sat back in his chair, thinking. “Dean, when did the first murder happen?”

“Huh?” Dean looked up from his plate.

Sam heaved a sigh. “All right, I need to get my laptop.” He pushed his chair back.

“I’ll come with you,” she volunteered, also standing up. “I’m good at research.”

“Oh I bet you are,” Dean smirked as he shoveled another bite of egg into his mouth.

Glaring, Sam smacked him on the back of his head before following Chloe up the stairs.

***

She sat beside him at Lois’s kitchen table, both of their laptops in front of them. “Who was the first victim?” she asked, glancing at his screen.

“Sandy Corbell.”

Her face paled as she inhaled sharply in surprise.

“You knew her.” His voice was soft as he turned his head to look at her.

“She was in my graduating class,” she murmured. “I sat beside her in Chemistry junior year.”

Sam rested a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

She tried to smile but didn’t quite manage it. “The mortality rate in Smallville’s always been unusually high.” She looked back at her own computer, feeling his gaze on her. Biting her lower lip, she typed something in. “Victim number two…Carrie Sanders, three days later.”

“Did you know her?”

“No.” She shook her head a little.

“The third victim was Cathy Savenski. She was…” His voice trailed off and he swallowed hard.

“What? What is it?” She looked at him worriedly.

“She was the current editor of the Torch at Smallville High.”

She stared at him for a moment, looking at the screen at the picture of the pretty blonde’s obituary. A knot formed in her stomach as a thought occurred to her. “Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“I know who it is.”

***

Sam watched as Chloe paced the length of the kitchen, her face pale. He was seriously starting to worry that she would wear a hole in the tile. He hung up the phone. “He escaped from county lockup.” His voice was grim.

“Well, that’s just fantastic.” Dean rubbed the back of his neck.

“Did he escape or did he just walk out?”

Sam glanced at her again. “What do you--”

“If he’s a shape-shifter, he could have just shifted and made himself look like one of the guards.”

He stared at her .”She’s right.”

“And the day keeps on getting better.” Dean shot her a look. “Any idea why this guy’s after you?”

“Dean!” Sam moved to her side, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Chloe, I need you to think for a minute. Do you have any idea who this guy really is?”

“No, I…” She shook her head, closing her eyes momentarily. “It could be anyone.” Her voice was barely audible.

“Hey. Look at me.” He gazed at her intently, meeting her eyes when she opened them reluctantly. “It’s gonna be all right. Nothing’s going to happen to you. I promise.”

She swallowed hard, nodding very slightly.

Sam turned to look at his brother. “This thing can look like anyone. We need to have a code-word in case it decides to make itself look like one of us.”

Dean arched his eyebrow, shrugging. “Metallica.” He grinned.

He glanced back at Chloe. “Can you remember that?”

She offered him a small smile. “I have a pretty much photographic memory.” Except when someone wipes it out, she thought bitterly, her body tense.

“All right. Now we just need a plan to find this thing.”

Dean cleared his throat. “I have one.”

She looked over at him, a little surprised. “What is it?”

He looked directly at her. “Well this thing is after you.”

Chloe held his gaze, swallowing hard. “Bait.”

***

“Forget it,” Sam snapped, glaring at his brother for even suggesting it. “We’re not using Chloe as bait!”

He glared back at Sam. “You got any other ideas, college boy?”

“No, but when I do it won’t involve putting an innocent person in even more danger!”

“Guys.”

“Hey, every blonde girl with the initials C.S. between here and Metropolis is in danger until this thing is dead!” Dean’s gaze was intense, angry.

His jaw clenched and he took a menacing step toward his brother. “That’s not Chloe’s fault!”

“Guys!”

“And I’m not saying it is!” He retorted, moving toward Sam, as well. “But I’m saying the best way we have to get this thing is to lay a trap and unfortunately that means using your girlfriend as bait!”

Chloe grabbed Sam’s arm before he could punch Dean in the face. “Stop it!” she said loudly, getting between them and keeping them each at arm’s length from the other. She turned her gaze to Sam. “He’s right. This thing is after me, Sam. And three girls have already been killed because of it.”

“Chloe--” He shook his head, his eyes filled with worry.

She turned to face Dean. “I’ll do it.”


End file.
